William Nathan Carpenter

William Nathan Carpenter Jr. , 73, completed his race after battling COVID-19, on Sunday, August 22, 2021.

He leaves behind his daughter, Jennifer (Sam) and their two children, Robbie and Breanna and a son, Nathan (Devan), his wife, Doris, her children, Richard Hobbs (Sarah) Abbie and Landon; Sharon Courtney (Justin) Aliya and Braydon.

Bill was born on June 4th, 1948 in McKinney Texas to William Nathan Daniel Carpenter and Gerlene (Wallace.) He had two younger siblings, Jackie (Sonia) who survived him and Teresa (David) Daly who preceded him.

Bill became a bricklayer in his late teens and was still laying brick at 73. He was shy as a boy, which may well come as a surprise to those who met him later in life, so it was through the efforts of friends that he met Marsha Hunt. He was 21 and she was 18.

They were married in November of 1969, after meeting in June. It took. They were parted only by death, when Marsha passed away after a long struggle with Parkinsons and Lewy Body dementia. Bill cared for Marsha until her passing, comforting her, feeding her, and loving her.

It was that compassion and faithfulness that characterized Bill and defined him to everyone he met. It was also his sense of humor. He could be a not quite merciless tease. A good friend, David Baker, slightly exasperated, once said "Bill is a student of human nature. He likes to put people in awkward positions and see how they react." But it was true of him that if he teased you, he liked you.

Another thing that could be said of him is how much he thought about Heaven. A preacher as well as a bricklayer, Bill once responded to a fellow bricklayer's cheerful observation about what a beautiful day it was to be alive with "Well, yeah, you know it really is. But I'd rather be dead." Bill wasn't miserable, wasn't complaining, just paraphrasing Paul in Philippians 1:23. "I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better." Put simply, Bill was in love with Jesus and couldn't stop thinking about meeting Him face to face.

After Marsha passed, Bill met Doris Hobbs. Doris had lost her husband, Nathan, to a fierce battle with cancer. As an old friend, Lisa Balty Croyles observed, it was a testament to what both Bill and Doris had cherished in their long unions with Marsha and Nathan, respectively, so much that they were married in November of 2020, rather than spend the rest of their lives alone. Doris made dad so happy. She poured her love out on him not so long after losing someone else so dear to her which is a shining example of Christ's sacrificial love.

There were a couple of songs that Bill raised as possibilities for his funeral, probably partly in jest, but the truth spoken in it is comforting for those of us he leaves behind.

One was "Death Ain't No Big Deal" sung by one of his favorite vocalists, Jake Hess.

The other? "Goin Away Party" covered by more than one artist but the first version he heard and liked was by a country gospel band called White River.

"Born in 1900, she had her share of hard times

At the age of 16, she met the love of her life

Now she adored Him, and loved Him til her dying day

So we celebrated, when we put her in the grave

We threw a goin away party, the event of the year

The day that she lived for was finally here

The One that she loved wants her by His side

So strike up the band...

It's party time."

Dad, we will meet you in the morning!!


Arrangements entrusted to Schaudt's Funeral Service, 719 E. 141st Street, Glenpool, OK 74033. Family and friends may leave their condolences and kind words at schaudtfuneralservice.com